


Sweet Nothings

by shopfront



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Dancing, Developing Friendships, Drinking, Episode: s01e07 Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad, F/F, F/M, Missing Scene, Party, Pre-Femslash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-09 21:06:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15276186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shopfront/pseuds/shopfront
Summary: Michael and Ash weren't the only ones Stamet's actions affected in the forgotten timeline of Mudd's attempt to take the Discovery.





	Sweet Nothings

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nemirovitch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nemirovitch/gifts).
  * Translation into Русский available: [Милые мелочи](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17554079) by [lariatta](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lariatta/pseuds/lariatta), [ST_Discovery_20XX](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ST_Discovery_20XX/pseuds/ST_Discovery_20XX)



> Thank you to I for the beta!
> 
> Contains very brief reference to character deaths on the USS Shenzhou.

Keyla let herself be moved forward by Tilly's hand on her lower back. It was only a gentle nudge, but even that small step was enough to shift her into the orbit of an officer who had just introduced himself to them. Though she still couldn't hear him over the music when he repeated his name, but that didn't matter right now. Tilly was right. Sometimes you just had to seize the moment.

She looked back over her shoulder to say as much, but Tilly had already disappeared off in the direction of the synthehol pong game. Which was fine, because Keyla had a feeling that she was about to discover she was going through a making-out-in-dark-corners phase.

Keyla and the officer hovered together awkwardly on the edge of the dance floor, not quite on it but also not quite off. Another couple broke apart to veer around them, barely pausing to give them dirty looks for blocking their path before coming together in a passionate sway. Then they turned as one into a complicated spin that looked a little like the latest dancing fad from Andor, and far beyond Keyla's own dancing abilities.

"Do you want to dance?" the officer asked, his question mostly conveyed through barely audible words and enthusiastic arm movements.

Keyla considered the other people moving in the centre of the room for a moment, and then shook her head. The lighting was dim. Her implant was well-calibrated to adjust for it, but she had a sneaking suspicion too much movement in this room might put it to the test. Not that it would be enough to stop her dancing, but it would be distracting to try and carry a conversation with someone she didn't know well at the same time. And she had much better things to focus on.

The man's face fell, but he brightened again when she slipped her arm through his and pointed towards some of the seats along the wall. He followed the direction of her finger and then turned back to her, nodded enthusiastically. Licking her lips, Keyla let her hand slide down to grab hold of his as she walked backwards to the couch without breaking his gaze, tugging him to follow her.

Yes, Tilly was right. She definitely had much better things to focus on.

_reset_

Her own brisk footsteps echoed around her as Keyla hurried through the corridors. She was late for the party and Tilly had made her promise to be there on time. The room might be only a few turns away through the corridors, but she was still late and she really hadn't wanted to be rude to someone she was only beginning to get to know.

Huffing, Keyla sped up a little. But just as the doors she was looking for came into view, someone collided with her from the side.

The bulkhead rushed up to meet her as they both went sprawling. The dull thud of their landing replaced the quick click of her heels, and then there was silence.

Keyla groaned. "Lieutenant Stamets?" she asked warily as she struggled into a sitting position. "What- Are you alright?"

"Don't go in there, it's wrong," he said, sitting upright abruptly and then scrambling to his feet. "I don't know why, but everything's wrong."

Absentmindedly, he extended his hand and Keyla let herself be pulled up after him.

"Where's Dr. Culbert?" she asked, peering around them. But there was no medical staff visible down any of the corridors. There wasn't anyone, really. Almost everyone who wasn't on duty was in the room next to them, and the faint beat of the music leaking out into the corridor tugged at Keyla's attention.

"I gave Hugh the slip," Stamets said in a loud whisper, like he was excited to be sharing a secret. Then the frown returned to his face. "He couldn't see what was wrong, either."

Then he turned and began to hurry away down a different corridor.

"Hey, wait!" Keyla called after him, but he didn't slow. She sighed and cast one last longing look at the party, before hurrying after him. Nobody seemed to know what was going on with the Lieutenant these days, only that he had recently been cleared to move about the ship again. But nothing about their conversation had felt right, and she couldn't leave him wandering around on his own if he was in a confused state.

No matter how abrasive he usually was to her.

Two sets of footsteps echoed in the corridors as she attempted to catch up with him, resigning herself to a far less exciting evening than she'd planned.

_reset_

Keyla was finally beginning to relax and block out the rest of the party. Michael Burnham had just left, and it was a weight off to no longer have to pretend that the presence of their resident mutineer didn't bother her. The officer Tilly had practically pushed into her lap the second she entered the room was laughing, and Keyla couldn't help but laugh along with him.

This was nice. Her days seemed to be blurring together lately, heavy with fear and adrenaline. Nobody had been able to tell her who had planned the party, but she'd stopped caring. Looking around the room at her crew mates also laughing and having fun, she couldn't help but think that whoever was responsible was clearly some sort of genius.

She gave her maybe-date a considering look, and opened her mouth to ask for his name. It was quieter on the couch, maybe this time she'd catch it. But before she could ask, Lieutenant Stamets barrelled through the crowd and caught the attention of the sensors in her implant.

Curious, she watched as he rushed up to Tilly and then rushed away again. Tilly shrugged and headed for the replicator, but there was a frown lingering on her face.

"Will you excuse me a second?" Keyla asked her partner, unfolding herself from the couch without waiting for an answer.

The dim light meant maneuvering through the crowd took all of Keyla's attention. When she emerged on the other side, she found Tilly beaming at her, apparently not bothered at all by whatever the Lieutenant had said.

"Are you okay?" she yelled over the music.

Tilly expression turned quizzical. "Yeah, why? What happened to Laughing Boy?"

"Laughing Boy?" Keyla asked, and then looked over her shoulder. The officer she'd been flirting with was still on the couch, watching them talk. He didn't look like he was laughing anymore. "Oh! He's fine, I just wanted to check on you. You looked like Stamets was bothering you. He must be difficult to have as your commanding officer...."

Tilly laughed and took another gulp from her red cup. She left a lipstick stain on its rim, and Keyla caught herself staring at the mark as Tilly lowered the cup again before she quickly snapped her gaze back up.

"He's not that bad! At least, not lately!" she said loudly, lips pursed thoughtfully. Then she shrugged. "Do you need a drink?"

She shook her now empty cup at Keyla as she spoke. Keyla snorted, and then shrugged as well.

"Why not," she said. Casting one last look over her shoulder at the couch, she turned back to Tilly with a smile as Tilly looped their arms together. "It is a party!"

_reset_

It was hard to continue carrying the weight of resentment as she watched Michael Burnham and the new security officer dancing. They looked happy, and there was a decided lack of that going around lately. But it was also hard to let it go, as Keyla more keenly felt the absence of friends who would once have been dancing alongside them.

Keyla sighed and pulled back a little from her partner, leaving a gap between them on the couch for the first time since they'd sat down.

"Sorry," she said, her lips stretching into a clumsy grimace that was only a pretence at a smile. "I think I just need-"

Almost like magic, Tilly appeared by their side before she could finish the thought. Looking up from the couch, Keyla felt her smile become a little more genuine in response to Tilly's grin.

"Is this seat taken?" Tilly asked, flopping down next to them with a happy sigh when Keyla didn't complain. She tipped her head back to finish the last of her drink, and then pulled a face at the empty cup. "I keep running out. We need bigger cups."

"I could get us some drinks," Keyla's maybe-date said. His voice made her startle slightly, unpleasantly loud so he could be heard over the music.

"Oh my gosh, that would be fantastic. Thank you!" Tilly said brightly, waving at him as he got up and started towards the replicators. "I didn't interrupt, did I? It looked like you might welcome an interruption, but I can leave if you want. Sorry, I totally misinterpreted your expression, didn't I? I am such a-"

"No, you were right," Keyla said. She had to lean in close to make sure she was heard, but Tilly must have gotten the gist because she relaxed again. Keyla's eyes darted past her to the dance floor, where Michael and Ash seemed to have disappeared while she was distracted. "I guess I just wasn't in as much of a party mood as I thought."

Tilly's head was tilted curiously as she examined Keyla's face. "We should dance. Dancing always gets me in a party mood," she said.

"I don't- this doesn't...," Keyla started to say, as she raised her hand to gesture towards her head and then hesitated. Tilly just watched her as Keyla's hand hung awkwardly in mid-air between them. As she fumbled for words, Tilly's eyes started to drift up from Keyla's hand in the direction of her implant. But to her relief, Tilly's gaze quickly returned to Keyla's eyes and she continued to wait patiently. "I might not be able to talk and dance," Keyla finally admitted.

Tilly's smile widened. "That's okay! I can talk enough for both of us! Or we can just dance, dancing is also fun on its own," she said as she jumped back up and held out her hand.

Without letting herself think more about it, Keyla put her hand in Tilly's and let herself be pulled up and onto the dance floor.

"You'll let me know if you want to stop?" Tilly asked. Her expression was overly earnest, in the manner of the slightly drunk everywhere. Keyla just chuckled and placed her hands on Tilly's waist. Tilly beamed in response, slipping her arms up around Keyla's shoulders as she tugged her closer.

"I will, don't worry," Keyla said. Then she tilted her head forward to rest against Tilly's, and let herself be lost in the play of light across the dancing crowd and the movement of Tilly's body against her own.


End file.
